Free Speech - Not Any More - Lynette Burrows questioned over radio show.

** It used to be that the UK was a country where you could say your bit and people would debate/argue with you and it was taken for granted that people had the right to express their views no matter what those views were.

Now however we have a situation where the police are getting involved and questioning people over what they say on a radio station chat show

Lynette Burrows expressed a view on BBC Radio Five Live about the new Civil Partnership Act. she said she did not believe that homosexuals should be allowed to adopt. She added that placing boys with two homosexuals for adoption was as obvious a risk as placing a girl with two heterosexual men who offered themselves as parents.

A member of the public complained to the police and an officer contacted Mrs Burrows the following day to say a ‘homophobic incident’ had been reported against her. ‘I was astounded,’ she said. ‘I told her this was a free country and we are allowed to express opinions on matters of public interest. She told me it was not a crime but that she had to record these incidents. They were leaning on me, letting me know that the police had an interest in my views. I think it is sinister and completely unacceptable.’

Scotland Yard confirmed last night that Fulham police had investigated a complaint over the radio programme. A spokesman said it was policy for community safety units to investigate homophobic, racist and domestic incidents because these were ‘priority crimes’. It is standard practice for all parties to be spoken to, even if the incident is not strictly seen as a crime. ‘It is all about reassuring the community,’ said the spokesman. ‘We can confirm that a member of the public brought to our attention an incident which he believed to be homophobic.All parties have been spoken to by the police. No allegation of crime has been made. A report has been taken but is now closed.

So expressing a view can now get the police involved, what does this say about the state of our nation that we have become so soft that people complain to the police about a differing view from their own and - more importantly - that the police have nothing better to do than investigate someones opinion.

**I find it strange how our police and their political masters can look into a petty matter like this and yet they are so damn quiet about investigating the hate clerics who try to stir up hate and call for the blood of the people of this country....

Oh and maybe the police should look at the 12,211 crimes last year that involved the use of knives as a "priority crimes". Oh and if its not to much trouble maybe they could spare some time to look into muggings that have risen by 15% this year according to Govt, figures. Oh and read this that I found at the BNP site, that shows the sort of nation was have become...

Woman jailed for anti war protest

Wednesday December 7th 2005 marks a sad, and disgraceful day in British history. Following a three hour trial at Bow Street Magistrates Court, 25 year old Maya Ann Evans was convicted of breaching section 132 of the Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. Her crime? To stand by the Cenotaph in Whitehall, reading out the names of British Servicemen killed in Iraq.

This small, but respectful ceremony has changed the face of British law, and the rights of our people to hold peaceful demonstrations. The very fact that Maya Ann chose to highlight the illegal war, and subsequent loss of life suffered by those who fought, makes it all the more dangerous. How are we to remember the men and women who, through no fault of their own, give their lives for Blair’s Folly? Are we to silently accept that the New Labour government is free to declare war on hapless countries, simply because we don’t like the leader of that country?

The basis of the prosecution rests on the banning of demonstrations within one kilometre of Westminster. This bastion of British democracy, has in the past seen many different demos, ranging from small one, two person demonstrations, to well organised, mass demos. But why go to the trouble of arresting, and then charging a young woman, who, rather than demonstrate, aimed to hold a small remembrance ceremony? The way New Labour treats the honest citizens of this country is nothing short of an absolute disgrace. If we cannot remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, then how are we to even remember who we are in future?

** Anyway onto other things: I am now working again after walking out on my job a few weeks back. Had a lot of shit thrown my way by some people in the place - my phone & mp3 player were stolen and when this was reported the management gave not a toss. Finally after a couple of abusive e-mails that were aimed at me, I picked up my coat and walked. Now I will add to this that I tried to speak to my line manager but he a/ never replied to my mails and never had the time to speak to myself( I only saw him one time in the whole time I worked for the company)

So things were a bit tough for a while and bills have mounted up but I still feel I did the right thing in walking out, and have the pride of knowing I claimed not a penny off of the state ***. Thanks to the people who have helped out - you know who you are, and thanks to the people who have made donations as well.

*** In the UK we have a welfare system designed as a safety net, often refered to as dole. The vast majority of this is handed or "dole'd" out to illegal migrants, social misfits, anacists, gypsies, chavs - the UK's version of American Cheap White Trash who all live on run down council estates and breed like rabbits - and lastly to the classic dole scroungers: people who claim to have a bad back or some other fictional ailment and so can not work in any way shape or form, but in reality work on a building site or drive a taxi.

A few genuine people also manage to claim this but they find that they have a lot of hassle off the state and also have something called pride and so manage to find a job eventually no matter how low paid in order to come off this.

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